Brzmienie Ulic nędzy
The Sound of Mean Streets
Author(s): Stanisław BitkaSubject(s): Music, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Theory of Literature
Published by: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
Keywords: Martin Scorsese; Mean Streets; The Rolling Stones; film music; diegetic music; source music;
Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, with a particular emphasis on the music of The Rolling Stones. The author argues that this is the first film in which Scorsese fully establishes his distinctive directorial style, characterized by the use of pre-existing music as an integral narrative device. Deeply rooted in the film's diegesis, the music becomes a crucial component of the storytelling. Through an audiovisual analysis of selected tracks, the author demonstrates that the soundtrack, operating through contrasts, plays a key role in the character development and highlights the film's central issues, such as moral ambivalence, violence, and the tension between tradition and modernity.
Journal: Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication
- Issue Year: 39/2025
- Issue No: 48
- Page Range: 101-115
- Page Count: 15
- Language: Polish
